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Basket Case: How Do You Secure Your Wicker?

It's a sure sign that spring is on its way and the new bike-buying season has begun, when people start to email me about baskets! Specifically, over the past weeks I've had a few questions about the best method to attach a basket to an upright transport bicycle: Does the basket require a front rack? Some other form of support? Or are the buckle straps that often come with baskets sufficient to hold them up?

And as is often the case, my answer is: 'It depends!' Because really, so much in cycling is context-specific. Speaking broadly, a bicycle will always handle better when a front load is tightly secured and well-supported. And the more performance-oriented a bicycle is, the more important this becomes. So, for instance, on a touring bike on which you ride many miles over mountain passes, do quick winding descents on, lean into corners at speed, etc., absolutely: a front rack is ideal. But is it necessary for the bicycle you will be riding <5 miles to work and back? Allow me to make the bold suggestion, that probably not!

At the same time, I find that the leather (or similar) straps which come with many baskets are suboptimal. First, because no matter how tightly I pull them, the basket will slide side to side, as well as bounce over bumps or potholes. But also because the metal buckles tend to clank against the handlebars and this irritates me to no end!

So in leu of either the front rack or the straps method, I opt for the high-tech and lightweight solution of using cable ties (aka 'zip ties'). Two around the handlebars, and - crucially - one around the headtube, pulled tightly, does the job splendidly. The basket does not bounce or slide, and remains stable even when heavily laden.

Importantly, you want to use thick, industrial strength cable ties for this job, not whispy household-use ones! The latter will easily snap under a weight load; the former are practically unbreakable. You should be able to find them in a hardware shop, commonly in a choice of black or white - and, if you're lucky, sometimes even green.

While of course not as attractive as leather straps, the cable ties, once in place, are actually quite subtle. And if you long for a quainter look, you can always twine them!

The best feature of the ties, is the level of adjustment they allow. Just thread them anywhere through the basket's wicker or wiring, and pull as tightly as you like for a secure, stable fit. And if your container is made of more solid stuff (i.e. wine crate), you can cut, or drill, 4 holes.

It's a pretty effective way to avoid a front rack or other hardware. And on a bicycle used for unaggressive transport cycling, I find that it does the job nicely.

Comments

Aren't zip ties great?! I used to fret about how to attach things to my bike and would browse hardware store drawers looking for the perfect arrangement of bracket, bolts, and nuts. Once attached they would usually rattle their way loose or rust or just disappear. Not so with zip ties. Baskets were another issue, however, with regard to securing the contents within the basket. It was constantly frustrating and mine only lasted a couple weeks before I cut the ties!

Hi,a basket like this is definitely not for someone who cherishes their bike's paint job :).What I'd advise is adding a front rack e.g. Basil or a 30cm Steco, and attaching the basket to it with zip ties. My delivery bike has a huge wicker basket (ca. 45x35x35cm) sitting on a Steco 45cm front rack. It's fastened with two transport straps and can be taken off easily when I need to carry something else on the rack, and I've carried a lot of different things: a Christmas tree, my toolbox, big buckets of paint, gardening soil, servers, electrical supplies, my friend's travel bag... not to mention the weekly groceries and a sack of potatos every now and then.

By the way, I love the traditional Dutch carriers ("transportfietsen" - see a lot of them on www.transportfiets.net ) and British "butcher's bikes" a.k.a. "short Johns". Those things were heavy but built to last, and a lot of those built in 50/60s are still going. Reissues are made by Pashley, Velorbis or Azor/Workcycles, but they cost a bomb, so I built my own :).

Great idea - make sure that the ties are designed for outdoor use, i.e., UV-resistant. I once discovered that a collapsible basket on my rear rack was being retained by only 2 of 5 ties: I had used indoor ties, 3 of which had bee weakened by the sun and snapped!

I purchased a frame lock while visiting Amsterdam which unfortunately didn't come with any hardware to attach it to my bicycle. Zip ties to the rescue! Because it matters not one bit how it is connected, only that it remains attached, and most importantly, doesn't rattle when I ride.

Really, people email you about how to attach a wicker basket? Where do these people buy their bikes or their baskets? Any bike store worth its weight should be able to answer that question and if a basket does not come with a means of attachment, it better be awfully cheap!

I do not like to scold bike shops; they have it tough too. But yes, people email me about things such as basket attachment problems and other customer service type issues. A bike shop has the power to get people excited about cycling, and it also has the power to put them off.

The basket in the photos did not come with straps. 20 euro, as I recall, from my nearest bike shop. It is pretty big and sturdy, and comes in handy for demo bikes that arrive without a means to carry luggage.

When you purchased it, without the straps, did you get an explanation as to why a basket designed for bikes does not come with some way to attach it? Some bike shops need feedback (scolding) if they want to keep customers and grow their business. I can find the same thing in Goodwill for a couple dollars. I like the velcro strap suggestions, too. My only problem with Zip ties are they have to be cut in order to remove the object. Okay, since you don't like to scold a shop I'm making a note to self to visit my local shops to check out their baskets and advice. Clearly, I don't mind ruffling a feather or two!

I understand the local bike shop business is down around the world. Internet shopping is taking a big share away from them. For this reason I'm doubling down on supporting the half dozen shops around here keeping the buying local mantra, you so often mention, alive. If in need of a basket and the shop sold me one without means to connect it to the bike I'd let them know about. Surely if I asked them to install it they'd be able to do so or otherwise why sell it? Throwing in zip ties with the purchase is a no brainer. The internet, as a means of business for things where personal service is valued, is depressing.

Your photo looks more fall than spring. I know of zero people who decide on bikes as a daily thing and end up using baskets, but if you do, you've probably already discovered Zip ties. Keep on cycling!!

Hmm....I can't tell if I deleted my last comment or submitted it pre-maturely. Sorry if this is a duplicate. I wasn't sure how much weight zip ties could take, so I used rubber coated p-clamps. They work just fine and hold the basket very securely. There's something so right about having an old-fashioned wicker basket on an upright transportation bike.

Zip ties are great. I once zip tied a Raleigh Sprite frame to the rear rack of another bike and rode 5 miles over pot-holed michigan roads to bring it to the shop. Made it.

And usually, the way you have attached the basket here would make me worry about scuffing the paint, but I imagine that's not much of a worry on many commuters and beaters. Speaking of which, I went whole hog on one of my beaters. a '69 Raleigh Sports with steel bar bolted straight through the frame and JB-welded to keep water out, in order to carry a large basket. I overhauled the bottom bracket after doing that, obviously to get the metal shavings out. It handles nicely even with a heavy load since the weight is not attached to the swiveling fork or handlebars. Kinda like an old postal bike. Photos in the link below, if curious.

I have also found that with metal baskets, the wire can abrade the tie, eventually causing failure. Good to put on a few extra, and go with a more substantial weight. This would not be as much of a problem with a straw basket. But if I were not using a rack, and only hanging from the handlebar and head tube, I would want a nice hefty tie. Most of those in the first link are rated at 50pd test, which should be more than plenty. But if you want some extra insurance, these guys sell 8" or 11" ties at 120pd test:

I've used wicker baskets for many years, mostly with leather straps although I have used baler twine on occasion. The baskets I've used have only been attached with two leather straps and they do slide about a little bit, but its never bothered me. My Brompton has an awesome, sturdy and capacious luggage attachment system and has become the only bike I really use now.

Your fall photo of spring being on it's way is funny :) We are dealing with frigid ice here, just one week after the daffodils started to bloom ;( But still, I love spring! There are no longer those oranges and reds,and a different kind of yellow reveals itself as I cycle about and view my little world. Wicker baskets are lovely, aren't they? Mine comes with three leather straps which work great!

If one is willing to put up with a bit of maintenance(weeding and watering), a basket can be attached simply by adding an inch or two of potting soil and planting Ivy! Care must be taken to keep it from spreading to various moving parts but regular use is typically sufficient to keep things clear. It has the added benefit of discouraging theft as the bicycle can leaned against buildings or trees and the camouflaging effect renders it practically invisible.

Spiders can also be encouraged to take up residence in a nice wicker basket and trained to spin a network of webs that secure the basket to the bicycle in a satisfactory way. This approach seems to be an even more effective theft deterrent than Ivy!

This is a serious quandary for a bike shop. It is not an easy question at all. Thus, riders will turn to Velouria for assistance.

Visit the Rivendell site to see their current prescription. Remember they are a storefront bike shop as well as an online emporium. Riv asks you to buy a $20 wire basket and mount it on a $140 rack. Secure basket to rack with as many zipties as will fit. Add a supplementary tether from rack to handlebars. After all this max recommended load is 2 kilos. That is the sort of answer you come up with if you try to make everybody happy and live in the happy hunting grounds of personal injury attorneys.

The answer I would get at my favorite LBS, where they have known me for 45 years, is completely different from the answer they would offer the general public. When people ask me such questions I am often entirely at a loss. If I owned a bike shop I would live in mortal terror of these queries. My own system is sheer genius but today it shall not be disclosed.

I made a bracket that clamps to the headstock-mounted light bracket (on my old three speed). It is made from three plates with holes in (like mechano pieces) from any DIY store. Two sandwich the basket and are bolted with m6 bolts and nuts. A third plate goes behind the lamp bracket and more washers and M6 wingnuts clamp it in place. So you can remove it and take it into the shop, then slip it back over the bracket and tighten it up with your fingers. It has had four cans of lager and a bottle of wine, plus various vegetables in it all at once and it seems pretty solid so far!

Please do not mount any zip ties on the headtube as pictured !!! It will rub off your paint and is potentially dangerous if to tight. I would remove the second picture to avoid any casualties and lawsuits.Zip ties on the stem are ok. But zip ties as pictured wrapping your shift and brake cables are also a no go. If you ride with baskets like this you will just need to accept the dangling basket, like europeans have done for decades.

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